A plug-in electric vehicle as that term is used herein is a full electric or hybrid electric vehicle that can be charged by plugging it into a charging station, commonly known as an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (“EVSE”). Newer plug-in electric vehicles conform to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) J1772 standard (titled SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler) to connect and charge. The J1772 standard covers the general physical, communication protocol, and performance requirements for the EVSE. The EVSE has a connector (or plug) that plugs into a port on the plug-in electric vehicle. The connector (or plug) and port each conform to the J1772 requirements. The connector is commonly referred to as a J1772 connector. A typical prior art J1772 connector is shown as connector 102 in FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 2 in particular. It should be understood however, that FIGS. 1 and 2 as a whole are not prior art.
J1772 connectors have a round housing surrounding five pins, two AC pins (AC line 1 and AC line 2), a pilot pin, a proximity pin and a ground pin. In accordance with the J1772 standard, a pilot signal (a 1 Khz square wave at +/−12 volts generated by the EVSE) is used for communication between the EVSE and the plug-in electric vehicle for detection of the presence of a vehicle, communicate the maximum allowable charging current and control charging. The pilot signal has a signaling protocol used to communicate commands and other information between the EVSE and the plug-in electric vehicle. The plug-in electric vehicle responds to the pilot signal on the pilot pin to appropriately configure the electric vehicle for charging and controls aspects of the charging in accordance with the signaling protocol specified in the J1772 standard. The proximity pin connects a proximity circuit in the plug-in electric vehicle to a proximity circuit in J1772 connector. This connection is required for charging of the plug-in electric vehicle to occur and disables the plug-in electric vehicle from moving when it is connected to the EVSE.
Recent plug-in electric vehicles can be set-up to feed power back into the power grid. This is typically done by a user entering the appropriate command (or commands) on a console of the electric vehicle. Such plug-in electric vehicles have high power inverters that convert the DC power from the main battery pack of the plug-in electric vehicle to AC power that is then fed back into the power grid, such as via an appropriately configured EVSE.